A farmer’s work is seasonal. We practice a lifestyle and a work with a pulse and a rhythm. It is a very interesting concept in a time when so few people are guided by the cycles of the seasons in their work. We all feel the seasons, but it cannot always be applied to our work. Ayla helping wash Spinach
As farmers we get to harness the excitement we all feel in the springtime and invest that excitement into the seeds we plant in the greenhouse in March and April. We feel the extra bounce in our step in the springtime as we begin to work outside again and feel the warm breezes again. We watch and anticipate the thawing of the earth. In the summer we get to sweat and feel the hot sun on our back. The work becomes heavy and hard and our bodies become strong and our hands rough.
As the seasons shift towards fall we rise again and again each morning to a lowering sun on the horizon. We have breezy days again that we don’t get to experience in the summer. The hillsides turn colors, the leaves fall, and the garden gives up. What we are harvesting now is the remaining of the work we accomplished from April through August. It is too late for planting or weeding or ripening of fruits. All bets are in. The most we can hope for now is the swelling of a fall radish or the finishing of a broccoli head.
Winter is a time for a farmer to become an intellectual. The energy of the farm goes downward and inward. It’s time for reading, learning, and socializing. It is a time for rest and reflection. Winter means fixing broken welds and sharpening tools, implementing new procedures and marketing the farm. We feel the cold and the stiffening of our surroundings. Winter is the only time of year when a farmer is envied, because it is a time when we get to look back on a year of hard work and feel good about accomplishing something that was very hard to do.
Napa Cabbage- These are the huge chinese cabbages at the bottom of the box. These cabbages are great for making raw chinese cabbage salads or for making stir fry. Check out a couple recipes below! Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Spaghetti Squash- These are the yellow colored hard squash at the bottom of the box. Some gluten-free folks like to use these in cooking in place of pasta. Slice these lengthwise down the middle, scoop the seeds out and discard, and cook face down in a baking dish with a little water at the bottom of the pan for about an hour. Once cooked, the flesh is very stringy like spaghetti. Check out a couple recipes below!
Garlic- More garlic to spice up your life.
Tomatoes- Another hefty giving of tomatoes to help finish off the season. By now you know to keep your unripe tomatoes out on the counter to finish ripening. You can transfer them to the fridge if you need them to hold for a little while longer. We’re expecting another tomato giving next week, but it will be much smaller. The seasons are a changin’ folks! We had a recor-breaking year of tomatoe harvesting for sure!
Leeks or White Onion- Another nice leek for your stews and fall soups.
Broccoli, Cauliflower or Romanesco- Very nice looking fall brassicas. You may have received the broccoli, cauliflower or the romanesco. The romanesco is the fractle-looking lime green spiral that tastes a lot like cauliflower with a slight nutty flavor. Yummy!
Wakey-Wakey Piggy-Piggies
Purple or White Kohlrabi- Very crisp and crunchy kohlrabi. The leaves on these babies look so good you could cook with them like you would with kale.
Sweet Colored Pepper Mix- Still very generous givings of peppers this late in the season. Six nice peppers for everyone. A mix of yellow, orange and red peppers.
Beets- A few nice beets. Store these in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. They will keep for a very long time with their tops removed like this in a plastic bag.
Jalapeno and Cayenne Pepper- A little spice for your life.
Herbed Spaghetti Squash with Cheese
Spaghetti Squash with Basil, Tomatoes and Parmesan
